ID software, known for its huge success with Doom, Wolfenstein, and Quake has set new standards once again with its latest game Rage. The game was originally announced in 2007, but no details were given of the game other than the fact that it would be a new series and that it would use a new game engine. It has been years in the making and apart from a few minor flaws Rage surpasses amazing and nears perfection, but falls short in a few areas. Rage has set a new standard for games in general with its graphics, and for FPS games with the enemy AI. Graphically, Rage is stunning. Apart from a few kinks due to out of date GPU drivers, the game was released with near to perfect visuals. One of the most impressive aspects graphically is character design. It is fascinating to watch the intricate details of people's faces while they speak. The way their mouths move. Most of the characters look incredibly unique, although some NPCs do share the same basic design. The water and blood effects are pretty great. Killing an NPC near the player will splat blood all over the screen, and standing under dripping water, blood or sludge will run down the screen in a very realistic way.

The scenery and setting is also graphically incredible. From the moment the player steps out of the first area the world of Rage is breath taking. This beautiful landscape is nearly endless. The game has to load to be able to enter bandit hideouts and such simply because the graphics and details of each area are so extensive that the game simply cannot load them all. There is a slight texture pop if the the player looks around rapidly, but it only lasts a few seconds. This was a huge problem when the game was released, but that has since been fixed. Each locale of the game feels alive because of the attention to detail that ID software put into this game.

The sound in Rage is very well done. The voice acting stands out the most for being incredible, but the music is also very good. The voices all seem to fit the characters they portray, and often add to the depth of the characters. Pay close attention, and you will hear several well-known voice actors, including John Goodman, Paul Eiding, and Claudia Black. As a whole, the sound effects are superb. Rod Abernethy's rousing musical score does an excellent job setting the tone of the game, and enhances the intensity of the different feelings of the game such as the arena or exploring the dark hospital.

The second area where Rage really shines is in the enemy AI and the different reactions enemies have for being shot in different body parts. There are a number of different enemies in the game and they each act differently. The organized bandits are the most fun to play against. On the normal setting the enemies are fairly smart and they do most of the things that the hard AI will do, but the major difference between difficulty settings is the amount of bullets it takes to kill enemies. On Nightmare the enemies are veritable bullet sponges, but they are a bit more aggressive on nightmare which makes it quite a bit more intense.

It is evident that driving will be a major part of the game from the start. The intro sound when you enter the game is that of an engine reeving. The combination of shooter and racing game with a twisted metal feel comes together nicely. ID Software blended the two very different game styles smoothly, but a player who does not care much for the driving aspects is forced to take part in them. There are a few ways to enhance vehicles, but the fastest is by far participating in the races and driving mini games. They can be largely ignored, except for one point, but to get from towns to quest areas player have to drive. The driving is entertaining though because it was done so well. There is one area that Rage is seriously lacking. Rage has little to no motivation to the story. After about two hours of playing, I asked myself why is the character doing all of these side quests, and what exactly is going on here? The writers failed to establish a plot in the beginning of the game. It does take shape a little later on; but since it was completely lacking in the beginning, the story fails to be a gripping one. This doesn't detract from the actual gameplay because that is incredible, but ID software's games aren't known for incredible stories. They do the FPS game almost perfectly though.

Rage comes with a multiplayer aspect, but it lacks any deathmatch games. With the exception of a co-op mode, the Multiplayer in Rage is primarily racing. You can play all the same mini games from the single player game against friends and strangers, namely races and vehicular combat. This aspect of the game will probably not be a selling point, but it is a fun variation of the main game. The game is not strictly a shooter which is quite refreshing.

The game controls are nice overall. They are pretty standard for an FPS game, but there is one annoyance, and it is a big one. Most games allow players to exit the menu by pressing escape, but in Rage you have to press tab to exit the menu. Pressing escape opens the options menu, and exiting the options menu returns to the in game menu. Although a minor inconvenience, it is still very bothersome. The controls are nice though. Id software was able to blend the controls of both a shooter and a driving game very well, and it switches between the two seamlessly.

RageRage is not a game to be skipped this year.

Rage
Gameplay
ID Skillfully combines FPS Action and vehicular combat, and the AI is near perfect. The only minor complaint to be had is a lack of compelling story.
Sound
Superb voice acting, with a stellar cast, coupled with a great score, set a stunning tone for the game.
Graphics
ID Tech 5 raises the bar for visuals. Stunning locales, a smooth framerate, and highly detailed character designs are absolutely jaw dropping.
Controls
Standard WASD/mouse controls, with a few minor inconveniences.
Overall
Ignore the throwaway story, and give Rage a play, it is not the game to skip this year.